TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Zoo (臺北市立動物園) implemented measures on Friday (Jan. 23) to protect its tropical animals from the cold front sweeping through Taiwan. The zoo's Pangolin Dome (穿山甲館), a tropical exhibit featuring river and forest ecosystems, houses various species unaccustomed to low temperatures. Zookeepers are using heat lamps and heaters to keep the animals warm during the cold snap.
Zookeepers have prepared nest boxes, heat lamps, and heaters for small mammals and tortoises to ensure their comfort during the cold weather. They have also used a heating system to maintain the large tropical fish tank at appropriate temperatures. The temperature difference between the heated water and the cold air has created a mist over the waterfall, producing a unique hot spring-like effect for visitors.
The Pangolin Dome showcases tropical river and forest ecosystems, allowing visitors to experience the rainforest from ground level to the canopy. Zookeepers have set up heated nest boxes for the two-toed sloth (二趾樹獺) and cotton-top tamarin (棉頭絹猴) to help them stay warm. The sloth retreats to the nest box for warmth, while the tamarins also seek shelter in their heated enclosures.
Blue-tailed bee-eaters (栗喉蜂虎) rest near the dome's exit, where zookeepers have installed ceramic heat lamps to keep them warm. These birds fluff their feathers in the cold to retain body heat. Red-footed tortoises (紅腿陸龜), yellow-footed tortoises (黃腿陸龜), and Burmese star tortoises (緬甸星龜) rely on external temperatures to regulate their body heat, making them particularly vulnerable. Zookeepers have provided heated nest boxes and "curtains" for their warmth.